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  • The Nature Conservancy in Washington's South Puget Sound team, led by Pat Dunn.
  • Savannas of grasslands and Garry Oak were once a common site in South Puget Sound.
  • Today, only three percent of our native prairies remain in Washington. Grasslands are among the least protected and most threatened habitat types on Earth.
  • Pat Dunn started the Conservancy's South Puget Sound program nearly two decades ago. He continues to lead conservation work in the prairies today.
  • The Taylor's checkerspot butterfly, a threatened species, is one of many creatures that depend on the prairies of South Puget Sound.
  • The Conservancy has long relied on volunteers to complete important conservation work in the prairies. Pictured here are Mike and Marion Jarisch.
  • A close-up of Spring Gold on the prairies.
  • Each year, families from around the Sound are invited to attend Prairie Appreciation Day, a volunteer-run event in celebration of this rare habitat.
  • Each spring, the prairies light up with color as wildflowers come into bloom.
Conservation on the Prairies
South Puget Sound is home to Washington's rarest habitat